Elastically-connected surfaces for insuring the stability of airships, aeroplanes, and submarine boats.



G. A. GROGGOE: '0; RIGALDONI.

ELASTIGALLY CONNECTED SURFACES FOR INSUBING THE STABILITY OF AIESHIPS, AEROPLANES, AND S UBMARINE BOATS. APPLIOIIATION FILED IA'BJH, 1909- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. .10, 1912.

G. A. GROGGO & O. RIGALDONI.

ELASTIGALLY CONNECTED SURFACES FOR INSUBING THE STABILITY OF AIRSHIPS,

" AEROPLANES, AND SUBM ARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED HAR- 2'7. 1909".

1,038,507, I Patented Sept. 10,1912.

[ 8 a sums-sum: 2.

G. GROCGO 5c 0. RIGALDONI. ELASTIGALLY CONNECTED SURFACES FOB INSURING THE STABILITY OF A IBSHIPS, A EROPLANES, AND SU-BMARINB BOATS. APILICIATION FILED MABHM, 1909.

1,038,507. Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

3 bums-sum 3.

a UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I To all whom it may concern:

GAETANO ABTURO CROCCO'AND OTTAVIO BICALDONI, OF

HOME, ITALY.

: nLAs'ncAn Y-connnc'rED suzeracnsrowmsunme THE STABILITY or Mast-Hrs, I AEROPLANES, ann-sunmanmn nous.

aosaao'a Specif cation. of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Be it known that we, GAn'rANo An'rnro I Croooo and OTTAVIO RICALDONI, both subships, Aeroplanes, and Submarine Boats, of.

' sure on the plane,

' exact specification.

' machines during jects of the King of Italy, and captains in the aeronautical brigade 'in Rome, Italy, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elasticall -Connected Surfaces for Insuring the stabllity of Air- 'which the fllowing 1s a full, clear, and

As it is known, in order to insure the statsility-of dirig'ible airships and other aerial flight; it is necessary to provide them with steadying surfaces arranged like fins orvot-her wise, the Object of which "is to keep the true directionmf the aJirship'in the horizontal-as well as in the vertical plane. These steadying surfaces,

which insure steadiness of'travel Without it.

being necessary to act continuously on the horizontal or vertical rudders, reach large dimensions, especially when they are applied directl on the gas bag'of an aerostat and work in a disturbed air zone, with low efficiency.

tion the weight and the resistance-offered to the movement of aerostats 1S greatly increased; Other flying machines, such as aeroplanes forinstance, also require steadying tails, which in proportion sion of the apparatus must have a very large surface. Finally self propelling torpedoes,

- submarine boats, and the like when traveling bodies by' making use of under water, being in conditions quite sinnlar to those of a dirigible airshipin the-air,

require also self acting rudders in order to insure steadinessof travel.

The object of the present 'invention is to diminish the surfaceneces the stability of the above mentioned moving planes with ind stabilizing action, provided either pr} both at the head and the tail simultaneously, so that they cooperate both during :forward it should be remarked that the of deviation from" the true direction as] itis inadmissible to allow an airship or a submarine in traveling-to offer its side to the current of fluid which would'impin'ge thereon with considerable ineidence.- A limit of 20; or 25 degres en the right and on the left Therefore, through their adop-' to the dimen:

'an elastic connection which Stiiy .for securing as well as backward moveconnected to the moving body,

' forms. a pa t- Application filed March 27, 1909. Serial No. 486,123.

can be assumed in practice as the limit of admissible deviations within which the stability is to be insured. In consideration of this, according to the present invention the ste'adying surfaces, instead of being formed by fixed planes, are made with movable planes, right angles to the directionof the movement and passing behind the center of preswhen they are struck obliquely by the air. It is known that the center of pressure of fluids on' inclined planes, is comprised between i and 2'; of the width, of the plane reckoned from theleading edge and as the incidence increases, this center approaches the geometrical center of the plane, which'is reached When the-plane is positioned at right angles to the direction of movement Thus it appears that it will suflice to have the plane pivoted on an axis passing through its geometrical center and perpendicular to the direction of movement in order to be sure thatthis'axis of rotation always remains behind the center of pressure whatever the angle of incidence may be. If the plane were completely'free to rotate, in these conditions it would not be steady in its position parallel to the directionof movement but at the slightest devi tion it would be upset and tend to lie transii hrsely. However, in ord r to insure stability in the position of normal, travel, and in any other assigned position it will su will resist the upsetting action of the air, and it will then be understood that ly suitably regulating this connection it is possiblethat under the combined action of the air currentand otthe .said" connection, the plane, when struck obliquely,- w1ll deviate. and form an angle of obliquity to its normal position which may beregulated at will, so that the angle at which the current-of fluid impinges upon it can be much larger than the )angle at which it would 'be'mt if rigidly or of which it When tail planes are to work together with head-rudders, the tail" planes. are pivoted on an axis situated in the first quarter 105 i of the width, reckoned freni ;,the rear edge ,in the direction of the normal movement, and preferably nearer tothe rearthan to thefron't end ofthelsaid quarter of width.

which can be swung around axes at flice to provide invari ably l0( The head rudders, on the contrary, are piv- 110.

' the upsetting couple that it produces is very p of an elastically connected surface varies I invention as applied to the steadyingplane of" an airship in the normal and in a deviated a device for acting upon a group of multiple :planes' with deviated positionduring the forward or the plane aresecured the ends of two; springs 55 the points 89. plane of the rudder coincides with t e dia- '67- areevenly stretched. From Fig. 2,

airship, traveling.

oted on an axis situated in the first quarter of their length taken in the direction of the normal movement, and preferably in proximity of the front edge. With this arrange- 'ment during forward as well as during the rearward movement, when the moving body" deviates from the true direction of its course,

the rear plane is, deviated from its position of rest more than the body itself producing a strong redressing couple, while the head rudder is deviated to a lesser extent, so that weak.

The accompanying drawings show 'diagrammatically some embodiments ofthe invention, in Which- Figures 1' and 2 show a plan view of the position; Fig. 3 shows arudderprovidedwith the intensifying deviceaccording to the present invention; Fig. 4.- shows another embodiment of the tail plane with intensified action; Fig. 5 is a diagram demonstrating graphically the way in which the action according to the present invention; Figs. 6 and 7 are a plan and a side elevation re-" spectively of a'steadying plane with an elastic connection for steering a submarine boat in vertical direction; Fig.8 shows a device arranged inside a submarine boat for acting upon a rudder with elastic connection; Fig. 9. shows diagrammatically the application of the invent-ion'toan aeroplane; Fig. lO'shows .elastic connection; Fig 11 shows. a dirigible airship, or submarine boat, with head and rear steadyingplanes in'po-si-v tion of rest and duringthenormal'travel. Figs. 12 and 13 show the osition taken up by the steadying planes of Fig. 11 and the forces acting upon same respectively in their .-6-7 connected with the frame at In this positi nthe metral plane as yjof the airship and the s rings which shows the same obliquely, viz. when the axis a: 1 forms a certain angle with the direction of movement a, it willbe seen howuinder the action of the pressure ofv the air indicated by the arrow .and the angle of the plane with the direction of movement '2 becomes greater than the angle between said direction of movement and the axis a." y. In. this case the spring 6- will contract, while the spring '7 is stretched-and the plane will lie in a position, such that the action of the air is bal anced by the action of the springs. This position, viz. the angle of final obliquity of the plane, depends only upon the degree of I elasticity of the springs, and therefore,.other conditions being equal, it can be considerably. larger than the angle which forms the a K18 w y with the direction of movement ,2.

Figs. 1 and 2, in which the points of connection .ofthe springs -'67' areconnectguide pulleys -8 and 9.-=. andterminats ing at a controlling lever or wheel, by means of'which they may be shifted in such a manner as to permit of operating the above mentioned plane as an' ordinary rud der if desired. f

In Fig. 4 another embodiment of the inplane, instead of being controlled by means of springs disposed at right angles to its faces, is controlled by means of springs '-13' disposed longitudinally between the airship; in this case the action of, the springs understood that, as the pressure on a plane moving obliquely in-the air is proportional to the angleof obliquity, the same surfaces of .the plane and the same speed of the airaction in the aforesaid movable v plane with elastic connection-than would be produced 1 on a fixed plane of the same size and similarly located. As the steadying action of the plane upon the airship is chieflydue is very much increased by above described construction.

a given fixed plane may not be sufiicient to secure any appreciable stability, the same plane, when made movable and-elastically connected, Will insure suflicient stability to the airship. f V Briefly stated the movable planes for insuring stability diiring the travel act as real automatic rudders. ,The movable planes can fixed planes,-forming and partly movable, Fig. 5, calculated for a system of this kind, givesa clear idea of the actionof the; elastic planes in comparison planes. 1

The curve cd' represents the nega- .a, the plane rotates around its axis'.3-,

tive values of the resultantmoment of. the

Fig. 3 shows thesame arrangement as in ed with ropes 11l2 passing upon point 5- and a fixed point 14 of the ,increases much more. rapidly. than the angu-- lar deviation of thelplane. Now it will be- .ship, will produce a considerably greater to this pressure, it'follows that this action the use of the It will be. seen from the above that, while vegtion is shown, in which the position of -tl of course besupported in their action .by

a plane partly fiked;. and the diagram ofwith that of the fixed forces counteracting for an airship of about steadying plane comprising 12 square meters of Between andv theof fixed surface and 24 square meters movable surface. stabilizing action of the movable planes is equal in value to that of about 80 square meters of fixed power diminishes as the angle-of obliquity increases until fora certain obliquity the action of the movable plane becomes equivalent to the action of a fixed plane. I

Supposing a submarineboat having very fine forms of revolution and a displacement of 100 tons and a length of 20 meters and moving under water with a speed of 10 knots, if its shape -were similar to the shape of the aforesaid dirigible airship, a horizontal or vertical steadying keel of 4 square meters would be necessary for balancing the upsetting action of the water. With the use of the elastically connected movable .planes accordin to the present invention a keel of 1 square meter is quite su cient, provided that springs of suitable power are at disposal. In the case of a submarine boat the springs have to be placed inside the'boat, in,

order to lessen the resistance to the motion; and in th1s case lt will be convenient topivot the planes at a point placedbetween 9 and i of their width reckoned from the fore edge in the direction of movement in order to diminish the torsional momenton the axis of rotation and the weight of the springs.

Figs. 6 and 7 represent diagrammatically a plan and a vertical section of the arrangement adopted. In the same 1'-"des1gnates the rear body ofthe boat, -2 the planes mounted on the shafts 3 which may 1f desired, be replaced for convenience sake, by a singleshaft carrying both planes;

Through the application of the elasti-.'

cally connected movable planes in submarine boats a great advantage in the speed during the subaqueous navigation will be obtained. It is known that the variations of depth for submarine boats by means of the rudders are generally obtained in three ways whichare as followsz-(a) By the use of simple rudders, generally located at the outer end (b) by the use of double rud-' ders'rotating.

of the bow;

in contrary direction at the two ends of the boat;"'(c) by the use of rudders rotating in the; same direction at the two ends of the boat. Of the above systems the first requires the smallest rudder surface area and'therefore' allows of obtaining the greatest speed; it is,*however the most dangerous andihe'least reliable" sysplanes; this multiplying planes,

having cured in a toothed sector --1 5 CODCQIltI'lC- can right angles thereto.

term, because, which are necessary to insure-stability during the travel, are not available the boat is not steady in it's different positions, and its steering requires the continuous attention of the helmsman. Preference is therefore genorally given to the third system, known as the parallel sinking system, with which however the surface necessary is so large that the speed oft-he submarineis considerably diminished.

The arrangement of elastically connected steadying planes permits of the first system being employed with the greatest safety and without anyattention of the helmsman, imparting to theboat absolute stability for any position comprised within the limlts of steering. In this case, .besides the fixed a stern rudder or a fore rudder can be adopted, or even the fixed planes themselves can be utilized as rudders, by suitably moving the connecting point or points of the springs.

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically in elevation an embodiment of this system. The rear planes 2-- are connected with the shaft --3 carrying a lever arm -4, the

end of which is provided with a spring -6 fixed at one end to the arm 4 and its other end fastened to a r ng. se-

with the axis 3 and guided in its, movement by connections secured togthe body of the boat, which connections are not shown in the drawing. By means of the gears --16- and the worm 17- movement can be transmitted from the handle wheel -18- to the toothed sector -15 so as to displace the fastening point of the spring,

whereby the initial inclination of the elas- O as large surfaces at the rear,

tic plane is modified. This arrangement,

be employed in self-propelling .torpedoes, in which case howeverthe'gear 16 will be automatically controlled in the usual manner. planes can be advantageously utilized in connection with aeroplanes inasmuch as they reduce to a great extent the surface necessary for insuring stability of themachine in'fiig'ht.

In order to which on account of the energetic action of the elastically mou'n "ofan aeroplane; onthe tail is pivoted the the pom-"125- elastically mounted, plane -2-- tion of which is controlled by the spring '-.-13- and which carries a rod -21 at On the head is piv oted a rudder '22- which is also rovided with a rod --23--arranged-at right The elastically connected rear obviate the disturbances ed planes are produced in the supporting action, they may be.c'on-' -19 and -20---:

angles thereto. The ends of the two rods are connected crosswise by wires so that the rotations of the two planes take "place inopposite directions; any other wire,

lever or gearing with which the same effect is obtained can be employed. While the elastically mounted plane produces a cer-. tain depressing power, the front rudder produces contemporaneously a certain ele-. vating force or vice versa. The moments of the two forces can be equal in value, ori; the moment of the upwardly directed force f may be greater, if this is more convenient.

In this way the resultantmoment of the stabilizing forces is increased without impairing the supporting action of the whole of the aeroplane. In the figure both the supporting planes and the propeller .are.

R omitted for the sake of clearness. iFinallv in all machines, to which the elastically mounted planes can be applied, it is possible to employ sets of superposed planes.

Fig 10 shows the stabilizing system of a dirigible airship. Thereare three sets of 2 plane. I The spring 6 is fastened to the .fixed point---26-- of the airship. The

point.27, which is also fixed on the airship, car-ries a pulley, around which passes 1 rope 28, to one end of which is fastened the spring 1 7 and on the other a handle,

wheelfor the control of the elastic planes (not shown);- In this way-the planes can befcontrolled by. means of one ,ropeonly. .1 The application of stabilizing'planes at' ,12, 13 which represent diagrammatically both ends of a vessel is shown by Figs. 11,

the arrangement of the members in the case of a dirigible airship, or of a submarine boat, which moves in'the direction shown'by the arrow 2. In the said figures the outline ofthe body of the dirigible airship, or

of thehull of theboat to which the planes.

are applied, is .shown in dotted lines; The rear planes -2 are pivoted on an axis -3fand balanced by the;,,f1ont spring 13 secured at 14. fllhe front rud ders 22- are pivoted upon an axis 2 -and balancedby the rear spring '30' secured at 1 31'.

The axisof rotation .-3 is located in" the last'quarter of the width of the plane reckoned from the front edge in the direction of .the normal move- The ment and. very near the rear edge.

1 axis of rotation -29} (is located in the first quarter of the'width of the rudderreckoned from the front edge in the direc-' tion of the normal-movement and very near the front edge. It will be understood that the springs can be arranged inany other way according to the particular V circuma I i I I stances involved in the constructlon to which they are applied. When the movable body during itsforward travel deviates for instance towardits left hand side, as shown Fig. 12, the forces -a and .b-- act against the planes 2 and +22.

The rear planes, working in theaforesaid manner will increase the angle of obliquity, .while the front planes, in which the center of ressure falls behind the axis of rotation, wil reduce the angle of obliquity. Itfollows that the upsetting moment of the force b' acting on the front planes is Very weak, while the moment of the force 'a., on the rear planes counteracting the deviation is yery'strong. In this way it is posby acting on the fastening point 31 of the spring 30 or in any otherj way, Without disturbing the equilibrium- Further the system permits of rearward move-- ment while preserving-the stability, which would not be possible with the steering devices now in use for dirigible airships and submarine boats. In fact, as will be clearly ment, and foran oblique position of the axis with respect to the direction of the movement, the action is reversed. The rear planes 2 will diminish-their'angle and weak disturbing moment while the front planes 22- increase their angle and pr0- ing moment. As during the forward motion the force a is applied farther away from the axis of rotation --3" and the force -b nearer the axis of rotation -29 clear that the springs 13-30-. the tension of which is regulated for the forward motion do not comply well with the requirements 'in the case of the rearward motion, during which it will be necessary to weaken the action of the springs -l3 and to strengthen that to the spring 30. This result can be-obtained with a single movement which displaces in the same direction, viz. toward the stern, the fastening points 14-31of the two springs, and which can beproduced by a fore-and-aft-direction lever being within the helmsmans reach whowill shift it in the position required.

1'. A self acting steadying device for bodies comprising: movable planes provided at the tail of the moving body; shafts carrying said planes can-be swung, placed at right angles tothe direct-ion 'of the movement and behind the center of pressure of the-fluid act- 'ing on the plane, when the latter is moving sible to utilize-the front planes as-rudders seen-from Fig. 13, during-rearward move- I produce the force, -a., having a very duce force 'bhaving a very strong redressthan-during the rearward-movement, it is moving in a fluid, as dirigible airships, aeroplanes, self propelling torpedoes, submarine and submergible boats and the like,

12 5- planes and around the axes of which the obliquely, and elastic connections between the movable planes and the moving body conveniently disposed to counteract the action of the fluid impinging obliquely on the plane 1 and to stop the latter in a position in which its angle of deviation is greater than the angle of deviation of the axis of the moving body, for the purposes set forth in the body conveniently disposed to counteract the action of the fluid impinging obliquely on the plane-and to stop the latter in a posi tion in which its angle of deviation is greater than the angle 'of deviation of the axis of the moving body; and means where- 1 by the points to which the elastic connections are secured to the moving body can be shifted in order to cause the movable planes to act as ordinary rudders, for the I purposes set forth in the specification.

- self-propelling torpedoes, submarine andsubmergible boats and the like, comprising:-

3. A self acting steadying device for bodies moving in a fluid as dirigible airships,

movable planes provided outside the hull of the moving body; shafts carrying said planes and around the axes of which the planes can be swung, placed at right angles to thedirection of the movement and behind the center of pressure of the fluid acting on the plane, when. the latter is moving obliquely; extensions of said shafts projecting inside the hull of the moving body, and elastic connections placed also inside the hull and operating on members fastened to said extensions of the supporting shafts, and conveniently disposed to counteract the action of the fluid-impinging obliquely on the plane and to stop the latter in a position in which its angle of deviation is greater than the angle 'of deviation of the axis of the moving body, for the purposes set forth in the specification. 1

LA self acting steadying device for bodies moving in a fluid as dirigible airships, self-propelling torpedoes, submarine and submergible boats and the like, comprising: movable planes provided outside the hull of the moving body; shafts carrying said planes and around the axesof which the planes can be swung, placed at right angles to the direction of the movement and behind the center of pressure of the fluid acting on the plane, when the latter is moving obliquely; extensions of said shafts projecting inside the hull of the moving body; elastic connections placed also inside the hull between members fastened to said extensions and points of the hull and conveniently disposed to counteract the action of the fluid impinging obliquely on the plane and to stop the latter in a position in which its angle of deviation is greater than the angle of deviation ofthe axis of the moving body; and means whereby the points to which the elastic connections are secured to the moving body can be shifted so that the steadying planes may also act as a horizon- .tal rudder for varying the longitudinal inclination of the boat and thus also the depth of navigation, for the purposes set forth in the specification.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GAETANO ARTURO GROGCO. orravro RIGAL'DONI.

Witnesses 4 LE'l'lERNO CHAHOOIETTA, REnA'ro SCEVOLO. 

